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are all ftyled Equites, tho’ they never have attained theKnightly Dignity.

The third Sort were Knights Banerets, who fo well de-ferv’d in the Wars, that they were afterwards permittedto ufe Vexdlum quadratum, a fquare Banner, whence theywere called Equites vexillarii , or Chevaliers a Buniere fromthe Dutch Banerheere, Lord or Matter of the Banner.

Camden conceives this Title firft devis’d by K. Edward 3.in Reeompence of Martial Prowefs; a Recital of whichDignity is mention’d in a Patenr 20 E. 5. to John Coup-land, for his Service, in taking David King of Scots Pri-foner. But it was much more ancient with us, as wellas in France 5 and they had particular Robes, and otherOrnaments given them from the Crown, ad apbaratumjuum pro militia, tanquam pro Baneretto, a Regefufcipienda,&c. vise., ad unum Tunicam, &c. after which is fet downthe particular Robes, and other Ornaments appointedfor his Creation.

. To fhew this Dignity yet more ancient, there is theEvidence of a Writ in K. Ed-w. 3d’s Time, for furnilhingThomas Bardolf with the Robes of a Baneret. It is an Ho-nour etteemed the laft among the Greateft, viz. NobilitutnMajorum, or the Firft of the Second Rank 5 and is placedin the Middle between the Barons and the other Knights ;in which refpe£t the Baneret may be called Vexillariusminor, as if he were the lefler Banner-Bearer $ to the Endhe might be fo differenced from the Greater, namelythe Baron, to whom the Right of bearing a fquareBanner doth belong.

But there are fome remarkable differences betweenthefe Knights and Knights-Batchelors j as in the Occa-ftons and Circumftances of their Creations, the Baneretbeing not Created, unlefs at a Time when the King’sStandard is erefled, and that he bears his own Bannerin the Field $ whilft the Knight-Batchelor follows thatwhich is anothers.

This farther difference is obferved between them,that the Knight-Baneret had fo many Gentlemen his Ser-vants at Command, as that he could raife a Banner, andmake up a Company of Soldiers to be maintained at hisTable, and with his own Pay : But the Knight-Batchelorhad not fufficient for this, and therefore marched underthe Banner of another j and the Wages of the Baneretwere double.

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